1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a light distribution member, a method of manufacturing a light emitting device, a light distribution member, and a light emitting device.
2. Description of Related Art
A light emitting device equipped with a plurality of light emitting diodes or other such light emitting elements has been used in the past as a light source utilized in automotive headlights. With this light emitting device used in automotive headlights, a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged on a substrate, and wavelength conversion members that contain a phosphor are disposed on these light emitting elements. With a light emitting device such as this, however, if there is an unlit light emitting element adjacent to a lit light emitting element when the lighting of the plurality of light emitting elements is controlled independently for each one, there may be light leakage from the wavelength conversion member provided to the lit light emitting element, and the wavelength conversion member provided to the unlit light emitting element may emit a tiny amount of light.
In view of this, methods have been proposed to prevent this light leakage, such as a method in which the outer periphery of one wavelength conversion member is covered by a white ceramic frame, and a method in which a reflective resin containing titanium oxide or the like is disposed between adjacent wavelength conversion members (see JP2012-134355A, JP2012-527742A, WO2012/66881A and JP2012-119407A).
However, forming the reflective resin requires a certain amount of space between wavelength conversion members. Meanwhile, when adjacent light emitting elements emit light at the same time, this space causes the boundary between the light emitting elements to become darker.
Also, when a light-shielding film composed of a metal film or a dielectric multilayer film is formed on the side surface of a flat wavelength conversion member, an adequate light shielding or reflecting effect cannot be obtained if the side surface is bumpy. Furthermore, it is not easy to control the film thickness in forming a metal film or a dielectric multilayer film on the side surface, and it is difficult to form the film evenly on the side surface.
Therefore, there has been a need for a method for easily, simply, and precisely manufacturing a light emitting device having functions added according to the number and layout of the light emitting elements and how they can be used.